Seeds of the Union blossom into 49-year magnificence
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates,their Highnesses the Crown Prince and Deputy Rulers and Sheikhs, atended on Wednesday the official 49th National Day celebrations.
The country’s official National Day celebration was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; and enshrined the values of the UAE’S founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which have guided the country since its inception.
Atending the celebration were His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah; His Highness Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman; His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Rashid Al Mu’alla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, and His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.
Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates,their Highnesses the Crown Prince and Deputy Rulers and Sheikhs, conveyed their sincere greetings and blessings to the leader of the UAE development drive, Sheikh Khalifa on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the establishment of the Union, expressing their profound pride in the qualitative achievements made by the UAE which positioned the nation in a coveted stature among the advanced nations of the world thanks to his prudent vision and right approach toward ensuring the progress and development of the nation in fulfilment of the people’s ambitions for more prosperous life and wellbeing.
They prayed to Allah Almighty to keep Sheikh Khalifa in good health to continue to lead the successful development drive of the nation.
In this unprecedented year of COVID-19 restrictions, millions of people throughout the seven emirates, and further afield, tuned in from the safety of their homes to watch a performance that will be remembered for years to come as one of the most spectacular and moving, to be held in the UAE.
Themes of hope and optimism played out in a visual and audio extravaganza that took place at Al Jubail Island in Abu Dhabi. The entire production was centred around a 15-metre tall rotating cubed sculpture – which played the storyteller of the show – illuminated by digital lighting, surrounded by pyrotechnic and drone effects, and given the appearance of floating on the sea.
Highlights included touching tributes to the nation’s Founding Fathers and frontline workers who have risked their lives to keep the nation safe during the pandemic.
Members of the public played their part in the celebrations as recordings of people singing the UAE national anthem were incorporated into the production. National anthem entries were submited by the public as part of “Eishy Bilady” campaign launched on Nov.23.
The creative design was led by a team of talented Emiratis and artistic director Es Devlin, who has been involved in spectacular large-scale productions that fuse music, language and light.
Its title, Seeds of the Union, represents the growth of the UAE from a seed at its formation on Dec.2, 1971 into full bloom 49 years later. Enshrined in its concept were a series of values that have guided the UAE since inception - Determination, Optimism, Unity, Ambition, Wisdom, Persistence, and The Union.
The revolving cube sculpture is a recurring feature in Es Devlin’s work, and she has explored the form in a variety of contexts, locations and scales. This special sculpture, illuminated against the backdrop of the Abu Dhabi skyline, entitled ‘Seeds of the Union,’ is 15 meters tall - making it the equivalent of a revolving 5-storey building, rotated to reveal four engraved designs on its faces - a seed, a shoot, a flower, and multiple seeds being propagated.
In the first scene, entitled The Dream of the Desert, the cube took on the appearance of the desert sands. Accompanied by a voiceover, a young boy appeared carrying a smaller version of the sculpture, which he planted as a seed to signify the origins of the union.
Sheikh Mohammed, Mohamed Bin Zayed and Rulers of Emirates grace 49th National Day ceremony at Al Jubail Island in Abu Dhabi, pay touching tributes to nation’s founding fathers and frontliners.